Pittsburgh's offensive line starting to get back to the banged-and-bruised 2012 season. Four of them, including three starters, are likely to be limited early this week.

Like clockwork, the Steelers' offensive line over the last season and a half has seen injuries among it, and consistency from left guard Ramon Foster.

Heading into the start of practice before the team faces the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions, the injuries are there, but this time, Foster is one with an unhealthy outlook.

Foster suffered a high ankle sprain in Pittsburgh's Week 10 win over Buffalo, casting some doubt over his availability in the early portion of the week. Right guard David DeCastro suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 8, and he missed Week 9.

If Foster is unable to play, Guy Whimper will replace him.

As Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette pointed out in his notebook column Wednesday, the team will use its fifth different offensive line combination in its last 10 games if Foster cannot play. They used seven different combinations in their final 11 games last season.

Rookie safety Shamarko Thomas has already been ruled out with - what else? - a high ankle sprain.

Expect three other offensive linemen to be limited in the early portion of the week. Mike Adams (ribs), Kelvin Beachum (hip flexor) and Fernando Velasco (knee) will likely take it easy Wednesday in an effort to ensure there are at least some linemen capable of playing Sunday against Detroit. Also expected to be limited early this week are defensive end Brett Keisel (foot, plantar fasciitis), LaMarr Woodley (calf).

Ramon Foster is carted to the locker room Sunday after his ankle was injured in the third quarter.

Keeping with a theme over the past few years, the Steelers could be looking at yet another offensive line change Sunday against a Detroit Lions front coach Mike Tomlin said will "trample the run on the way to the pass."

Starting left guard Ramon Foster, the ironman of a line dressed in bandages and crutches since the 2012 season, was walking around with a protective boot on his right foot Tuesday. He has a high ankle sprain, what else? It follows on the heels of tackle Marcus Gilbert's high ankle sprain last week along with David DeCastro's ankle sprain. Mike Adams had to take a pain-killing shot to his ankle so he could play 28 snaps at tight end last Sunday.

Tomlin did not rule Foster out, but if he cannot play for the first time since the 2011 season, the Steelers will deploy their fifth starting offensive line combination in 10 games. That does not count many of the in-game changes, such as what occurred in Oakland when backups Adams, Cody Wallace and Guy Whimper entered the game because of injuries.

Foster might play. He has played through other injuries, and Tomlin merely said he would be limited in the "early portions of the week."

Foster started every game either at right or left guard last season when all around him were getting carted off. It began in the preseason with a major knee injury to DeCastro. By the end, the Steelers had used seven line combinations over their final 11 games.

This year, three-time Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey was knocked out for the season on the first offensive play, and the trend has continued from there, although not with such major injuries.

Is it any wonder they rank 28th in the NFL with an average of 3.6 yards per run, or that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked at a record pace of 35 times?

Whimper likely would replace Foster if he cannot go.

Whoever plays will do so against a Detroit Lions 4-3, which features the NFL's eighth-best rush defense. But despite Tomlin's glowing words of praise, the Lions have a woeful sack attack almost akin to that of the Steelers. Detroit has 15 sacks, led by Ndamukong Suh's 4.5.

They might "trample the run on the way to the pass," but the Lions rarely get to the passer.

Tomlin called Suh "the bell cow of the group, but he's not the lone ranger. Nick Fairley is another first-rounder that plays inside with him, from Auburn. Ezekiel Ansah is another first-rounder, a rookie out of BYU."

"They rush the passer extremely well," Tomlin said, with a serious look. He called them "vertical penetrators."

Tomlin has acknowledged using his news conference at times to speak to his players. Maybe this time, he was trying to scare them.

Thomas won't face Lions

Rookie safety Shamarko Thomas has a more severe high left ankle sprain than Foster and was the only player Tomlin ruled out for the game Sunday at Heinz Field.

Others with injuries will be limited in practice early in the week but all have a chance to play.

"We will take a look at these guys and see what their status is ... and let that be our guide in terms of how we prepare," Tomlin said.

Dwyer shows some bite

Jonathan Dwyer, so deep in the doghouse that he was cut before the start of the season, is back as a top dog these days and could move to the primary backup halfback behind starter Le'Veon Bell.

Dwyer has 68 yards on seven carries in the past two games, plus two receptions for 26 yards. His 4.8-yard average per carry is the best among the running backs.

"I like the energy that he brings, not only on offense, but he's been a sparkplug for us in terms of the things we've asked him to do on special teams," Tomlin said. "We've had some big returns in the punt-return game and the kick-return game in the recent weeks.

"He's been a significant part of that. He made a significant block the last several weeks in that phase as well. I like where he is. I like the contribution that he's providing us."

Felix Jones, who averages 3.7 yards per carry, has been the main backup to Bell.

3-4 defense vs. the spread

Anyone hoping the Steelers might change to a 4-3 defense anytime soon will be disappointed in what Tomlin said about why he prefers his 3-4 scheme, which the Steelers have run the past 32 seasons.

"I just think it provides you more flexibility in terms of some of the spread football," Tomlin said. "That's why, I think, you see increasingly more colleges going to three down [linemen].

"I think the more men on their feet that you have at the snap provides more flexibility in terms of dealing with some of the things that occur in spread football, which obviously all levels of football are kind of leaning toward in recent years. I think that hybrid front provides flexibility."

Skip 'erroneous' story

Tomlin declined to talk about the NFL Network report Sunday about a possible trade of Roethlisberger, which all parties have vehemently denied, including the quarterback and team president Art Rooney II. "I'm not gong to provide any more legs to an erroneous story," Tomlin said. "I thought it was handled and handled appropriately."

Damn. We lose a serviceable Oline player and have to replace with a scrub. Sounds like the fate of the past 4-5 years. Injury after injury after injury on the Oline. Do other teams have this kind of luck on their Olines? They might but I doubt to this extent.

Damn. We lose a serviceable Oline player and have to replace with a scrub. Sounds like the fate of the past 4-5 years. Injury after injury after injury on the Oline. Do other teams have this kind of luck on their Olines? They might but I doubt to this extent.

Carolina is using defensive linemen on their Oline. A lot if teams in the league are having Oline issues, it's just we don't do well with what we have like other teams.

The Steelers got the rest of their offensive line back for Thursday's practice, but it doesn't appear Foster will be able to play. The absence of LaMarr Woodley may be a bigger issue.

The Steelers are in "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" mode concerning injuries to three starters - left guard Ramon Foster, defensive end Brett Keisel and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley.

It's not a trio of players they can easily do without. None of them practiced Thursday, cast doubt over their ability to play Sunday vs. the explosive Detroit Lions.

Foster isn't expected to play, according to Tribune-Review reporter Alan Robinson, although Woodley and Keisel will both try to practice Friday in an effort to get on the field.

Guy Whimper will start at left guard for the Steelers in the seemingly likely event Foster can't play. Presumably, Ziggy Hood would play for Keisel, and Jason Worilds would shift from the defensive right side to the left, and Jarvis Jones would take the right side spot.

Jones was benched in favor of Worilds after Week 8, but did notch his first career sack last week against Buffalo.

The absence of Woodley in this game would be painful for the Steelers. He's been basically their only source of pass rush from the outside linebacker position, leading the team with 21 quarterback hurries.

The absence of Woodley in this game would be painful for the Steelers. He's been basically their only source of pass rush from the outside linebacker position, leading the team with 21 quarterback hurries.

I just wanted to highlight and repost this part for all of the "Woodley sucks, trade him" crowd.